** This NEW SHUTTLENWS report is presented by YANG YANG BADMINTON PRODUCTS
- experience a world champion's choice. **

May 18, 1997 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - Host country South Korea won three of the
five individual badminton gold medals on offer in today's championship matches
at the second East Asian Games in Pusan, South Korea. The favoured Chinese
took only one gold medal, while Taiwanese player Chen Feng completed a
string of victories in the men's singles event for the other gold medal.

(The East Asian Games is an Olympic Games-style multisport festival held
every four years. Participants are from the eastern part of Asia - China,
Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Macau. North
Korea is a member of the East Asian Games organization but did not participate
in Pusan, while Australia has recently joined and will be participating in the
next East Asian Games in 2001. - Editor).

Lee Dong Soo and Yim Kyung Jin won the first of the three Korean gold medals.
Lee and Yim defeated Yang Ming and Zhang Jin of China 15-11 and 15-7 in the
mixed doubles final.

Lee Joo Hyun took the second gold medal of the day for Korea. Lee spotted
surprise finalist Takako Ida of Japan a three-point advantage in the first
game before she got into her rhythm. She quickly caught up to Ida and never
relinquished control of the lead after that. Lee won 11-8 and 11-5.

The Koreans were already guaranteed the gold medal in the men's doubles with
two Korean pairs having won their semifinal matches. In the final, Lee Dong
Soo and Yoo Yong Sung easily beat their less experienced compatriots Choi Ji
Tae and Kim Joong Suk 15-2 and 15-4.

The Chinese also came into the finals day assured of a gold medal in the
women's doubles, with the pair of Zhang Jin and Peng Xingyong and the duo of
Wang Li and Liu Lufang coming through in the semifinals. Zhang and Peng took
the gold medal, beating Wang and Liu 15-8 and 15-6.

Taiwan's Chen Feng, more widely known as Fung Permadi, the badminton world
grand prix champion, finished with the men's singles gold medal. Chen, who was
born and trained in Indonesia but who now represents Taiwan, defeated
unexpected finalist Fumihiko Machida of Japan in the championship match 18-13
and 15-5.

Earlier in the week, Korea had stunned China to take the men's team gold
medal and the Chinese females had scraped by Korea to capture the women's
team gold medal.

The Chinese side did not make too much of Korea's four gold medals and their
own meager harvest of only two badminton gold medals at this East Asian Games,
since all of their top players did not play in Pusan but were saved for the
more prestigious and all-important badminton world championships slated to
start on Monday, May 19, in Glasgow, Scotland. There were also strong
suggestions of dissatisfaction from China and the other visiting countries
over the sometimes patriotic line-judging.

Korea, being the host country, had chosen to split their team in order to
have a good showing at home. They fielded top-quality players Lee Joo Hyun,
Lee Dong Soo, Yoo Yong Sung and Hwang Sun Ho in Pusan and sent Park Sung Woo,
Ra Kyung Min, Kim Ji Hyun, Ha Tae Kwon, Kang Kyung Jin, Jang Hye Ock and
others ahead to Glasgow for their opening mixed team fixtures. Lee Joo Hyun,
Lee Dong Soo, Yoo and Hwang will be flying to Glasgow immediately to join
their teammates for the world championships.